Increasingly, users of computers and other electronic devices expect to interact with such devices by entering input through touch and gestures. Conventional mechanisms supporting such input include touch screens, i.e. visual display screens that also detect contact or pressure within the display area as input. One drawback of touch screens is that conventionally, user-actuated input keys and buttons cannot also be located within the display area since such structures typically interfere with the display (but see co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/158,122 entitled Adaptable Input/Output Device for additional innovative solutions). Consequently, many popular tablet computing products with touch screens (such as the Apple iPad™) may display a touch-sensitive on-screen keyboard as needed, but many users are frustrated by the absence of tactile feedback and the flat two-dimensionality of such virtual keyboards. Alternatively, many computing products provide a traditional keyboard separately from, and in addition to, a touch-sensitive input area such as a touchpad; in that case, the two different input mechanisms occupy non-overlapping areas of the device, presenting a challenge especially for mobile devices where space is scarce. Yet another existing alternative is the pressure-sensitive pointing stick or tracking stick, which occupies very little area and so can be located between the keys of a keyboard; however, the tiny surface area is impractical for complex movements and gestures (swiping, pinching, etc.), and typically only simple directional input is supported.
In addition, conventional input devices such as keyboards and remote controllers do not adapt physically to an end user's needs or working habits, in the sense that such devices typically cannot adjust their physical shape in response to the user's interactive context. For example, while the functionality associated with particular keys on a conventional computer keyboard can be reassigned by software to a variety of different functions, the keys do not change shape: the keys are not designed or enabled to dynamically change shape under processor control and to transform (e.g., into a smaller number of larger rectangles) based on the current usage context.
Moreover, depending on context and application, a user may wish to utilize an input device in a “heads-up” manner, i.e. the user may wish to keep their eyes on a display while simultaneously manipulating the input device. In a conventional input device, this may be a challenging feat. For instance, while using a conventional computer keyboard or remote control, if the user looks down at the keyboard or the remote in order to be certain of which keys/buttons he is pressing, the user will not be fully aware of what is being displayed at that moment on the display of the computer or other electronic device being controlled. Conversely, when viewing the display, the user may not be fully certain of which keys he is pressing on the keyboard or controller, or where his hands are positioned relative to particular keys/buttons on the keyboard or controller. At best, time may be lost and cognitive load may be increased as the user switches focus between the display and the input device(s).